Reversing means for handrail structure of escalators

ABSTRACT

For use in connection with an escalator having a handrail, a guiding structure which includes a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for an escalator handrail and being adapted to support and frictionally engage the same, and supporting means for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers.

United States Patent [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor KlausSchoneweiss Hattingen, Germany 76 My 2 m o o 9 M Kym "mu & efi fle ..1e "U PRG 00 JD 169 566 r 999 U m m m 11 m x 283 .M 973 t Wm 835 M 785 w 52A 233 A m m M my mm m we e 1K %M m ll-me 7 It m nm mum 711C 0 dc mw hmm AFPA JHNM RUN Attorney-Walter Becker ABSTRACT: For use in connection with an escalator having a iding structure which includes a (1 one behind the other, fi

detachably interconnected in the manner detachably s [54] REVERSING MEANS FOR HANDRAIL plurality of rolhandrail, a gu shplate means lers arrange of a chain and upporting said rollers, said rollers defining the [51] Int. reversing path for an escalator handrail and being adapted to [50] Field support and frictionally engage the same, and supporting means for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers.

PATENTED JULZ 1 WI SHEET 1 or 2 FIG.1

PATENTEflJuLznsn 3,595,364

sum 2 OF 2 INVENTOR Wwa The present invention relates to a handrail reversing means for escalators with rollers located in guiding means and arranged below the handrail and connected to the balustrade.

With escalators with preferably transparent balustrades, the reversing and driving mechanism for the handrail is for aesthetic reasons arranged in the escalator body so as to be invisible. At the balustrade head there is provided a greater number of reversing rollers in an enclosure. With heretofore known designs of escalators, this is effected generally in such a way that a fixed shape retainingyoke for receiving the rollers is designed in conformity with the head of the balustrade. Bores or bearing bolts for mounting the reversing rollers are provided in the roller yoke which is assembled as an entity. The roller yoke must be strong and is rigidly connected to the enclosure of the balustrade. Theprofiles of the enclosure are assembled after the assembly of the yoke. If any damage occurs to the reversing rollers or the joumaling thereof, the enclosure has to be removed and the roller yoke has to be unscrewed so that the escalator may in view of a minor damage be out of operation for a longer period of time.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a handrail reversing guiding structure which will permit the exchange of the individual rollers without having to disassemble the entire reversing structure.

It is another object of this invention to provide a reversing roller guiding structure as set forth in the preceding paragraph in which the individual rollers can be adapted to the respective escalator type.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the reversing guiding structure according to the invention with supports for the end portions of said reversing guiding structure and with a handrail section and the balustrade head;

FIG. 2 illustrates on a larger scale than FIG. I a section through a roller with bearing bolt, rivets and plates, said section being taken along the line Il-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 represents likewise on a larger scale than FIG. 1 a section through a roller, the handrail and the enclosure, said section being taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1.

The handrail reversing structure according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that it comprises a plurality of rollers which in the direction of movement of the handrail are arranged one behind the other and are interconnected in the manner of a chain by detachable fishplates for supporting the handrail.

According to further development of the invention, the chainlike reversing guiding structure is inserted into an enclosure which is connected to the balustrade and serves as protection for the hand using the handrail.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the rollers l are respectively rotatably journaled on bearing bolts 2. These bolts 2 simultaneously each receive two pairs of fishplates or links 3 by means of which the individual rollers are interconnected in the manner of a chain.

In order to make sure that the pairs of fishplates 3 will not be accidentally displaced in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the rollers, the bearing bolts 2 have both ends provided with bores 4 into which spreadable rivets 5 are pressed. A handrail 6 moves over the rollers 1. The fishplates 3 and the ends of the bearing bolts- 2 are located in recesses 7 provided in enclosures 8 which are connected to the balustrade in any convenient manner so that the chainlike guiding structure is well supported. In order to prevent the reversing guiding structure from being moved by the handrail, both. ends of the handrail guidingstructure have connected thereto angle irons 9 which in their turn are connected to the balustrade 10 in any convenient manner, for instance, by bolts 11.

As will be evident from the above, since the reversing guiding structure is held between the recesses 7 in the enclosure 8, the individual fishplates or links 3 need be connected to each other only by easily removable bolts 2. Consequently, any desired rollers, fishplates or bearingbolts can in case of a damage easily be removed and exchanged. The mechanics or service men in charge of installation of the respective escalator no longer have to carry with them complete heavy reversing yokes which furthermore had to be of different design in conformity with the respective escalator to be scrviced, but it suffices that the mechanic carries only individual fishplates, rollers and bolts with him which can be used for any desired escalator type.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the draw ing but also comprises modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

It may be added that while the rivet members 5 may be of various types of resilient synthetic materials, materials such as acetal resins or polycarbonate resins sold by Dupont &

Nemours under the trade name Delrin and nylon or polyamide resins have proved very satisfactory in this connection.

What I claim is:

1. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held by the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for the escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to permit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, and fixed connecting means secured to the end members particularly of said fishplate means for connection of said supporting means secured to the guiding structure held in secured positioning with respect to the fixed balustrade of an escalator, said connecting means including angle-shaped steel bracket means secured directly to the escalator balustrade and fixed to the end members particularly of said fishplate means.

2. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held by the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path forthe escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to pennit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, said supporting means comprising an enclosure serving for hand protection and partially surrounding said rollers and guiding means recessed with respect to said supporting means complementary to said fishplate means, said supporting means being rigidly connectable to the balustrade of an escalator.

3. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held by the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for the escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to permit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, bolt means respectively extending through said rollers and said fishplate means and having their end portions provided with cavities, and spreadable rivet means resiliently and detachably engaging said cavities for connecting said rollers in releasable clamping engagement with the respective bolt means and fishplate means pertaining thereto.

4. A guiding structure for an escalator handrail according to claim 3, in which said rivet means are of resilient synthetic material to assure substantially noiseless roller rotation permitting escalator handrail movement.

5. In an escalator having a balustrade and a handrail movable over said balustrade, a guiding structure for supporting said handrail along a curved section at the head of said balustrade, comprising a plurality of rollers joumaled on bearing bolts and underlying said handrail, a plurality oflink elements on each side of said rollers connecting the bearing bolts of said rollers and forming a chain on each side connecting said rollers, support means on said balustrade on each side of said rollers and supporting each of said chains and rollers, said bearing bolts having removable fasteners on opposite ends to retain said link elements and rollers connected, each of said support means having a recess receiving said link elements with a wall laterally adjacent said fasteners, and detachable means to connect each end of said chains to said balustradc. 

1. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held by the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for the escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to permit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, and fixed connecting means secured to the end members particularly of said fishplate means for connection of said supporting means secured to the guiding structure held in secured positioning with respect to the fixed balustrade of an escalator, said connecting means including angle-shaped steel bracket means secured directly to the escalator balustrade and fixed to the end members particularly of said fishplate means.
 2. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held By the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for the escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to permit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, said supporting means comprising an enclosure serving for hand protection and partially surrounding said rollers and guiding means recessed with respect to said supporting means complementary to said fishplate means, said supporting means being rigidly connectable to the balustrade of an escalator.
 3. For use particularly in connection with an escalator having a handrail and balustrade below the handrail, a guiding structure comprising reversing means support for an escalator handrail to be kept free of lubricants and which includes: a plurality of rollers arranged one behind the other and held by the guiding structure secured to the balustrade, fishplate means detachably interconnected in the manner of a chain and detachably supporting said rollers individually fixed in position subject only to rotation of said rollers, said rollers defining the reversing path for the escalator handrail and being adapted functionally to support and frictionally engage the escalator handrail exclusively movable back and forth peripherally about said rollers, supporting means fixed to the balustrade and connected to said plate means held in position to permit replacement access for detachably supporting and guiding said rollers individually, bolt means respectively extending through said rollers and said fishplate means and having their end portions provided with cavities, and spreadable rivet means resiliently and detachably engaging said cavities for connecting said rollers in releasable clamping engagement with the respective bolt means and fishplate means pertaining thereto.
 4. A guiding structure for an escalator handrail according to claim 3, in which said rivet means are of resilient synthetic material to assure substantially noiseless roller rotation permitting escalator handrail movement.
 5. In an escalator having a balustrade and a handrail movable over said balustrade, a guiding structure for supporting said handrail along a curved section at the head of said balustrade, comprising a plurality of rollers journaled on bearing bolts and underlying said handrail, a plurality of link elements on each side of said rollers connecting the bearing bolts of said rollers and forming a chain on each side connecting said rollers, support means on said balustrade on each side of said rollers and supporting each of said chains and rollers, said bearing bolts having removable fasteners on opposite ends to retain said link elements and rollers connected, each of said support means having a recess receiving said link elements with a wall laterally adjacent said fasteners, and detachable means to connect each end of said chains to said balustrade. 